Baserunning gaffes hurt Red Sox

Baserunning gaffes hurt Red Sox

BOSTON Perhaps it was the specter of Cy Young contender David Price on the mound, knowing that hits and runs would likely be at a premium against the Rays left-hander.

The Red Sox had just seven baserunners in the game. Two scored, while two others were thrown out on the bases, as the sox lost to the Rays, 5-2 at Fenway Park Tuesday night.

In the second inning with one out, Cody Ross on third and Mauro Gomez on first, Danny Valencia singled to center scoring Ross, and sending Gomez to third. But Valencia who is 7-for-10 in his career against Price was thrown out trying to stretch a double. Che-Hsuan Lin grounded out, ending the inning.

In the third, with one out. Pedro Ciriaco and Daniel Nava singled. With Dustin Pedroia batting, Ciriaco was thrown out attempting to steal third. It was just the second time he has been thrown out this season the first was Saturday against Baltimore. Ciriaco had been perfect in his first 15 attempts this season, the second-most successful steals by any major leaguer without being caught this season. Pedroia then doubled, which would have scored Ciriaco.

It hurt, yeah, said manager Bobby Valentine. The Valencia one he thought it was a double all the way and then B.J Upton cut it off and he was out in no-mans land. And Pedro hasnt been thrown out all year trying to steal third. He just got a late jump.

"My career had fallen into an abyss because I was so complacent with things that I had already accomplished," Sandoval said. "I did not work hard in order to achieve more and to remain at the level of the player that I am and that I can be."

After dealing Travis Shaw to the Brewers, Sandoval is expected to be the Red Sox primary third baseman in 2017.

"I am not taking anything for granted," he said. "I am here to work hard. I'm not thinking about the position or not. I am starting from scratch, and I am here to show what I can do on the field."

The 30-year-old says he’s following a “really strict routine” this offseason, and it shows. In a recent photo, Sandoval appears noticeably thinner. Sandoval says his wife giving birth to “Baby Panda” has served as inspiration.

"Watching 'Baby Panda' grow up and that he gets the opportunity to see his father play in the majors for seven, eight more years, to get back to the success I had, that's my motivation every day," Sandoval said. "The people that I surround myself with now and my family, they are the key to my success. This has been a life lesson."